Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Main Stage:

Copenhagen

Performance Dates: October 10– 27, 2024

Copenhagen, by Michael Frayn, provides a fictional account of the meeting between physicists Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr at Bohr’s home in Copenhagen in 1941 during the throes of World War II. Heisenberg and Bohr, accompanied by Bohr’s wife Margrethe, revisit their personal and professional entanglements throughout decades of war, turmoil, and scientific advancement. The trio reenacts and simultaneously analyzes their infamous gathering, weaving in and out of various points in their shared past. For Heisenberg and Bohr, the question will always remain: what will come of the decisions we made?

RUN TIME:  2:15 plus 15 minute intermission

Post-Play Conversation

Join us after the show on Sunday, October 20th for a post-show discussion, presented by Carolina Public Humanities. The event is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, please CLICK HERE.

COPENHAGEN by Michael Frayn / October 10 – 27, 2024

Science History Mystery

In 1941, during the height of World War II, Werner Heisenberg travelled to Denmark to meet with Niels Bohr at Bohr’s home in Copenhagen.  Years later the pair, along with Bohr’s wife Margrethe, revisit that strange meeting with one question to answer:  Why did Heisenberg come? As the trio recount the meeting in intimate detail, pouring over professional and personal  entanglements throughout decades of war, turmoil, and scientific advancement, they realize that the fate of civilization rested upon this short, curious meeting.  But what happened at that meeting?  Why did Heisenberg come?

Buy tickets to COPENHAGEN here.

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback. 

 

Directed by Jerome Davis
Lighting by Chris Popowich
Scenery by Xinyuan Li
Costumes by Matt Snellgrove
Sound by Juan Isler
PSM – Jessica Regehr
Tech Director – Barry Jaked

CAST
Lynda Clark
Ian Finley
Brian Linden*

*denotes membership in AEA

Tickets to a particular performance are subject to availability, and we recommend subscribers reserve tickets 48 hrs* in advance to guarantee their spot. Reserving your ticket means you’ll be on the check-in list for that performance. To reserve, please email your preferred performance date/time to: development@burningcoal.org to reserve your ticket, or call the box office at (919) 834-4001.
 
*Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!
 
If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

Check back soon for study guides, programs, and reviews

About the Playwright

Born September 8, 1933, Michael Frayn is an English playwright and novelist best known for his farce Noises Off and the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy. His extensive body of work ranges in form as well as genre, spanning plays, novels, translations, memoirs, and television. After graduating with a degree in Moral Sciences from Emmanuel College of Cambridge in 1957, Frayn went on to work in journalism, writing for The Guardian and The Observer, where he segued into the production of plays and novels. He achieved both popular and critical success for his writing, receiving a Tony Award for Best Play, two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Comedy, and six London Evening Standard Awards, among numerous other accolades. Frayn’s most recent work, Among Others: Friendships and Encounters, published just before his 90th birthday, reflects on a lifetime of relationships and the lasting effects they have imparted. He has two children and is currently married to fellow writer Claire Tomalin. He remains one of the more beloved literary forces in England.

Themes

  • War
  • Nationalism
  • Memory
  • Friendship
  • War
  • Genocide
  • Nuclear Weaponry

Join us after the show on Sunday, October 20th for a post-show discussion, presented by Carolina Public Humanities. The event is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, click HERE.

Murphey School exterior